Social Work Mental Health - Case Study Example

Social Work Mental Health Case Study Institution’s name Author’s name Date Depression is a state of low mood that affects the behavior, feeling of wellbeing, thoughts and activity of a person. It is a disorder associated with the brain activity in relation to levels of serotonin and dopamine. The disorder can be triggered by life experiences that are traumatizing as well as daily stressors like poor social isolation. The patient presents with syndromes such as feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, anger, irritability, shame, restless, fatigue, suicidal attempts, excessive sleeping or insomnia among others. During treatment and management of depression, the psychiatrist will require developing a treatment plan. The treatment plan aims to address the physical, emotional and social aspects of life of the patient. The plan includes cognitive therapy, psycho education, narrative therapy, skills training, relaxation strategies and interpersonal therapy (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  During initiation of therapy, the therapist should be able to explain her duties and roles to Susan Emma to help create a rapport and boost their trust and confidence in the therapist. A therapist aims to recognizing the impact of the mental illness on the individual, family, friends, work and education. Therapy target is to improve the patient’s quality of life. The therapy sessions maybe offered in individual, family or in group packages. Therapies follow rules and guidelines as outlined by the mental health social worker code of ethics. The social worker is allowed to make diagnosis and treat mental illness patients. The social worker can draw treatment from clinical or systemic perspective depending on the assessment of the patient. Therapies use certain strategies during provision of treatment using therapy: relaxation strategies, interpersonal theory, and narrative theory, social skills, parenting skills, psycho-education, anger management, relaxation strategies, cognitive theory and stress management. The therapist determines the most effective strategies for use for different mental illness and patient (Lawrence, R. J., 2016). Following training and professionalism, mental health social workers are capable to approach the patient with curiosity but without being judgmental in an effort to identify the root of the depression. This enables the therapist to determine their capacity to change and respond to therapy (Australian, R., & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Clinical Practice Guidelines Team for Depression., 2016). The behavioral therapy is inclusive of cognitive therapy, interpersonal therapy, exposure, acceptance, commitment and group therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is among the most effective treatment that is able to identify the way one thinks as well as act. The therapy concentrates on transforming identifying factors or situations that trigger or prolong depression episodes. First, identify the negative thoughts. Following Emma’s history, she has suicidal ideation, unhappy with her looks, loneliness, self harming and feels abandoned by both her family and grandparents. As her psychiatrist, an attempt to brainstorm solutions for each problem noting possible solutions in writing is important. Ensure that Emma is able to commit to cognitive behavior therapy for at least six weeks probably through signing a written consent. Secondly, create self statements to counteract the negative thoughts. Ask Emma to repeat the positive statements to help create an association. Thirdly, encourage Emma to always end the day by visualizing all the positives of the day. Fourthly, teach her to accept disappointments as part of life. This will enable her cope with every day challenges positively. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to change negative thoughts in to positive thoughts via a problem solving approach (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  Interpersonal behavioral therapy aims the personal relationships of the patient with other people. The therapy helps improve the patient’s relationship with other people promoting better communication therefore addressing problems that contribute to her depression. The therapist will first conduct an interview to help identify the problems. Emma has repeatedly raised concerns about her mother’s choice of male friend. She feels that her mother’s relationship contributes to poor relationship with her mother. The needs for creating a role playing session with her mother may be helpful to enable identify the root of the gap in their relationship. Relatively, she also explains her lack of friends in her current hometown despite living there for long. Social isolation has been identified among the key factors leading to depression. The therapist aim should be to create a social life for Emma. This may be achieved by training her on how to act in social situations as well as maintain interpersonal relationships. Emma presents with struggles maintaining eye contact. During therapy sessions, the therapist can target to eliminate this by gradually practicing with her or encouraging her to try with other patients during group therapy. Following that Emma is a teenager; encourage her to join extracurricular activities that may bring her to meeting other people then making friends (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  Group therapies are therapies where several patients with depression share experiences providing a support system for each other during treatment. The therapy helps the patients face their daily living challenges positively. It also creates a social platform where the patients can learn to socialize within the circle before expanding to the other world eventually. It is much easier to create a social relationship with people that share experiences. The socialization will help boost the self esteem as well as self confidence that is crucial in building a healthy interpersonal relationship (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  Narrative therapy involves the patient narrating a life experience that relates to his or her daily living. Emma verbalizes feeling of abandonment from her mother and grandparents. She says that between her mother’s personal relationship and her job, she barely gets personal time with her. Allowing her to narrate her feelings enables her take control of the situation. Emma can develop means to communicate to Susan about her feeling of the situation. This helps create a possible opportunity to come up with a solution. It is important that Emma understands that her emotions are crucial in the treatment of the depression. Emma has a history of suicidal ideation and self harming. Following narrative therapy, the therapist will be able to identify triggers that facilitate to the attempt that is important in developing a treatment plan as well as avoid the triggers (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  Mood disorders like depression can be treated using psycho education. Psycho education involves delivery of information offering education on mood disorders. One of the means is the use of delivery of passive material like leaflets, emails and information websites to active multisession. The exercise involves an interview for the group in presence of a therapist. The aim of the psycho education is to provide educative information or feedback following screening tests. Among the key forms of treatment includes the patient’s ability to understand their condition. Emma needs to learn and possess knowledge of the mood disorder to enable her participate during treatment. The psycho education not only involves the patient but the family therefore calling for Susan’s participation in attempt to understand her daughter’s disorder. The knowledge will enable Susan in behavior and lifestyle modification to creating a more conducive environment towards Emma’s recovery and treatment (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  Patients suffering from depression present with social problems. Social training skills are therefore important to enable them act normally in social occasion. Emma presents with minimal facial expressions, struggles with eye contact, uncomfortable with views of herself. She is five feet tall, attractive and slightly obese but insists on viewing herself as short, fat and ugly. Attempts to boost her self confidence and self esteem with her learning to accept her physical appearance will help improve her social skills. The ability to accept her physique promotes good communication skills via the ability to show her presence confidently in social places. Social skills training enhance the patient’s ability to function in a team and gain ability to maintain a long-lasting relationship. Poor social skills can help worsen the depression (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  Finally, the use of relaxation strategies in treatment of depression is also important. Exercise in itself boosts serotonin and endorphins levels creating a feeling of joy and wellbeing. It triggers the growth of new brain cells too. Some of the relaxation strategies include yoga, meditation, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. During deep breathing exercises, allow deep breaths in the belly breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Repeat the exercise trying to hold the breaths. The exercise may last up to five minutes. Breathe in gently and regularly. Deep breathing exercises are most effective if combined with meditation. Yoga is a deep breathing exercise used to channel negative energy. Yoga is important in that it de-clutters the mind from intrusive thoughts. Progressive muscle relaxation involves physical activity that range from light exercises like pushups. However, the exercise should be routine and consistent (Cooney, G., Dwan, K., & Mead, G., 2014). In conclusion, mental health can be treated either via medication and or with evidence based therapies. The choice of treatment depends on the mental illness and the extent. However, patients on medication can use evidence based therapies to boost the effectiveness of treatment. Evidence based treatment is crucial in treatment of mental illness to improve the patient’s daily life and allay stress that is a negative factor during treatment of mental illness. Therefore, general practioners are encouraged to refer mental illness patients to mental health social workers for evidence based therapies in addition to other medication. Depression is a manageable mood disorder that can lead to loss of interest in life but needs self help to boost the recovery rate (Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H., 2014).  References Australian, R., & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Clinical Practice Guidelines Team for Depression. (2016). Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of depression. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Cooney, G., Dwan, K., & Mead, G. (2014). Exercise for depression. Jama, 311(23), 2432-2433. Lawrence, R. J. (2016). Professional social work in Australia. Anu Press. Weinstein, J., & Spandler, H. (2014). Mental health. Read More